Failure
by Kakashis-First-Kiss
Summary: Itachi has failed his fifth mission in a row, and Pein isn't happy about it. The difference is, Itachi is. Because he'll take it all, just to see his face. PeinIta. Now finished. Sorry, another lack of warning...
1. Chapter 1

Itachi had failed.

Pein was going to hand him his ass on a silver platter for this one. This had to be, what, his fourth failure in the space of six months? Kisame was worried. Konan was worried. Deidara was concerned. Sasori seemed indifferent, but Itachi could catch the small twitches that indicated nervousness. Even Hidan and Kakuza were on edge. And Pein…oh, Pein was just volatile.

His last failure, he'd been beaten within an inch of his life, and threatened beyond life itself. He wasn't going home unless Pein couldn't possible hurt him more than he was already hurt, and the only way to do that was probably to either chug a ton of drugs, use something illegal, or just not go back at all. Pein had his ways of even making a scratch across the top layer of skin feel like he had stabbed you six inches deep.

So what did it feel like when he stabbed you six inches deep?

"Itachi!"

Itachi skidded to a halt just short of a tree he had nearly run in to. He stopped and glared at Kisame, and then turned away again. Kisame sensed his chakra move towards his feet as the Uchiha made to jump, and stopped him. "Itachi," he said softly, taking a step towards his partner. Itachi pasted the best look of annoyance he could onto his face, but humored his partner by saying nothing. It was something Kisame had picked up over the years; one could tell if Itachi wanted you to speak if he looked at you. If he didn't even look away from what he was doing, that meant that he didn't give a damn and he didn't want to hear what you said. That Itachi had looked at him had granted him permission to speak, and Itachi guaranteed he would listen; at least, until he felt like leaving.

"Itachi, what is wrong with you?" Kisame growled. "Failing mission after mission, choosing to walk away from fights when there's more than a good chance we'll win, now running into trees?! Something's wrong, isn't it? Oh, don't try to deny it-something's up ad, as your partner, I am concerned. I don't want to have to be the one to tell Pein we lost you."

Itachi said nothing; instead, he sucked in a breath through his nose, and blew it out again just as softly. Still, in the dead silence of the forest, it must have sounded like a lion's roar. "Don't worry about it," Itachi finally said stoically. Kisame sighed, threw his hands up in the air, and then let them slap against his thighs as they fell.

"Same excuse, Itachi!" he growled. "I want the truth, and I want it now!"

"Just drop it!"

Wow. Kisame had never heard Itachi yell; not even raise his voice above the hardly-above-a-whisper level he usually spoke at. Itachi never really had to speak loudly: somehow, his voice just carried. And Itachi was just one of those people: whenever they spoke, you hung onto their every word. "Itachi," Kisame said, a bit more softly this time. "I'm beginning to think you get off on pain, because every time you fail a mission, it never seems to affect you! No matter how many times Pein hits you, no matter how many times he stabs you, cuts you, breaks you-it's like he never even touched you. And somehow, you heal yourself enough to walk, get out of there, come back looking like hell, and then just sleep for days. It's always the same, and I can't watch this anymore!"

Now it was Itachi's turn to be shocked. He had never heard Kisame string together that many words at once. It was like he had given a speech. Like that idiot president of America tried to do, and ended up screwing up his grammar so badly they quoted it on locker magnets. Except Kisame had somehow ended up much more eloquent than any authority figure, and it spoke to Itachi even more than the words he had said.

"Well, what if I do get off on pain?"

"_Well, here's some!"_

Itachi was caught completely unaware as Kisame's huge blue hand flashed out, catching him on the cheek. The force of the blow sent Itachi crumpling to the ground, spitting blood from a split lip and fighting the throbbing in his face. He just lay there for a moment, absorbing the shock of what had just happened.

"You got a boner now? You feel like getting' your rocks off? The hell, Itachi?! You're not like this, and Goddammit, I refuse to believe you are! You can't possibly ignore everything Pein does to you, and then try to tell me you like it!"

It seemed Itachi hadn't heard a word Kisame had said. Instead, he was slowly climbing to his feet, Sharingan active and spinning crazily. Even though his eyes always looked crazy, there was a certain gleam to them that led Kisame to believe he was suddenly in a very deep pile of shit.

"That was a bad…mistake."

Kisame felt chakra spike up, but refused to stand down. Itachi hadn't called upon the Mangekyou yet, but Kisame knew it wasn't long in coming. So, which would it be? The sun, the moon, or the mysterious third? Kisame wasn't backing down, either way: he would take whatever happened, and hold his tongue. Slapping Itachi like that had been a mistake, especially with the Uchiha already so pissed. And then piling on those insults? Probably not the smartest thing Kisame had ever done…

Itachi leapt away, and his chakra calmed.

Kisame was left standing, dumbfounded, as Itachi raced away, disappearing quickly into the trees and swiftly leaving Kisame behind. A short sigh of resignation, and Kisame was tailing him, just trying to figure out what had just happened.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Well?"

"I failed."

Itachi's blunt, short, curt, dry, flat response had Pein raising an eyebrow. "You know what this means, don't you, Itachi?"

"I do."

"And you don't care?"

"No."

Pein sighed softly, and stood up from behind his desk. He took the folder he was handed by Kisame, set it down, and then said, "Kisame, may I speak with Itachi privately?"

_Speak with, or beat the shit out of?_

"Of course, Pein-sama. Itachi, I'll see you upstairs."

_I'll get the tourniquet out._

As soon as Kisame left, Itachi felt the pain of Pein's first strike. He was backhanded firmly into the wall, and Itachi felt a bruising grip strangle his neck. He ignored it, however, retreating deep into a corner of himself only he knew existed, and just curled up in a ball.

Let the games begin.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Why do you let him do this?"

Itachi sat on the bathroom floor, still curled up in a ball, with Kisame sitting across from him, a towel in one hand and a roll of bandages in the other. Kisame gently dabbed at the blood on Itachi's porcelain skin with the towel, while the Uchiha just sat passively and let him do it. Kisame, while usually deferring to Itachi and his wishes, for some reason was adamant on cleaning Itachi up whenever Pein went off on him. Kisame finally sighed, and ran the towel under some cold water in the sink. He then returned to Itachi's side, wiping at the blood. He was surprisingly gentle for someone of his size and appearance-and personality-and he took care to clean all of the blood off the wounds before bandaging them. Itachi had never questioned why Kisame was so insistent upon cleaning him up; he was perfectly capable of doing it himself. But, for some reason, Itachi had submitted, and it had become almost a melancholy tradition between the two.

"Itachi?" Kisame's concerned eyes met Itachi's dull, lifeless ones. "Talk to me. Please."

Itachi shook his head, almost looking sad. Kisame sighed softly, and returned his attentions to Itachi's broken wrist. "Itachi? Come on."

Itachi shook his head again. This was another thing that worried him: Itachi refused to speak, often for weeks at a time, after Pein had blown up with him. But this time, the injuries were especially severe: a broken wrist, a dislocated shoulder, whiplash, a fractured neck vertebrae, several fractured spinal vertebrae, a fractured skull, a concussion, internal bleeding, a broken leg, half of his ribs were broken, and half of his blood had been lost. More muscle had been damaged by kunai than Kisame had seen even coming out of a war battle, and Itachi had been suspiciously skittish when Kisame first started working with him. Upon discovering the extent of Itachi's injuries (and wondering how the Uchiha managed to drudge up the willpower to even move, let alone stand and walk,) he had called Konan in to heal Itachi. She had taken care of all the bones that were broken, replenished his blood supply enough to calm his furiously beating heart, and all the ruptured organs, and by the time she was done, she had almost drained herself completely of chakra. Konan had known full well what happened, and no questions were asked.

Except the rhetorical, "My God, why does he do this?"

Itachi had been calm, despondent, and passive throughout the entire procedure, from the moment Konan touched him to the moment she left. Kisame had already given him the strongest painkillers possible without addiction or severe consequences, but he suspected they were merely dulling the edge of the pain.

"Itachi…?"

He was rewarded with a glance.

"Come on, I need to know: why do you let him do this?"

Itachi's eyes suddenly seemed even sadder, beat down, trodden on, and kicked around. But, to Kisame's surprise, he spoke.

"Because…I love him."

Kisame felt his jaw hit the floor. And that was saying something, because he was close to eight feet tall! No explanation was necessary; and suddenly, it all fit together. "Oh…oh, no, Itachi, no!"

Itachi's eyes squeezed shut, as if trying to shut out the bitter truth. Kisame instinctively reached out, reaching for Itachi-he should be in the infirmary, not here, where he wouldn't be able to receive proper medical care-but Itachi lurched away from his hand, a small, choked sob escaping him. He rose shakily to his feet, and then staggered out of the room, clutching his cloak around his frail form and sluggishly making his way to his room. Kisame could hardly do anything but watch him walk away: Itachi, who he loved like a little brother. Itachi, who he would take a kunai for any day. Itachi, who he sometimes wanted to kill, but loved him all the same. Itachi, who might sometimes want to kill him, and maybe even try, but never go through with it because somewhere deep down, he returned those brotherly feelings. Itachi, who he never wanted to see like this-

Had been reduced to mere trash by a sadistic jackass who would never love him back.

Kisame felt his blood boil at the thought, and grudgingly admitted to himself that he had formed an attachment to Itachi. In a big way. But he had to say, it was justified: Itachi was just a kid, in this big grown-up world, and it had to be scary. He had taken it upon himself to show the snot-nosed brat around for a while-until he realized exactly who Itachi was. Then, he started to let Itachi call the shots. But now…now, he thought maybe it was his turn to take the reins.

Itachi was lying face down on his bed, skinny shoulders shaking, when Kisame found him.

Kisame had sat down next to him and waited a moment, just to make sure Itachi was okay with him there. Then, he slowly laid his hand on Itachi's shoulders, and began running it back and forth across the teen's slender shoulders. "Can you explain this?" he whispered. "All he's ever done is hurt you-"

"I don't understand it any more than you do."

Kisame sighed. "You can't tell him-"

"Obviously."

Kisame sighed again, giving Itachi's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Get some rest," he said, "and then come and eat. I'll be checking on you; don't worry about it."

Itachi nodded, his raven locks spraying all of his back even more. Kisame decided to take what he had and cut his losses, and simply stood up and left.

"You can talk to me if you need to."

**A/N: This was only supposed to be a one-shot, musing on how Itachi, for all his success, also has a tendency to fail. And then I started thinking about romance, and then came the second sentence, and then…this came out. Kind of reminds me of "What Hurts the Most" by rascal Flatts. Usually don't listen to them, but hey...whatever. Well, review.**


	2. Chapter 2

Itachi sat quietly, picking at the food in front of him, eyes downcast, one hand resting on the table, the other loosely wrapped around his chopsticks. Kisame ate in silence, just trying to keep from staring at Itachi. This was bad; even Pein hadn't dealt the Uchiha this much damage before. And it worried him no end. For all his efforts, Kisame couldn't keep from staring occasionally, and stealing short, quick glances at Itachi. He had barely touched the ramen in front of him: Kisame knew it was his favorite. Ramen with miso, shrimp, and vegetables. But even the temptation of his favorite food couldn't coax Itachi into eating, and that bothered Kisame even more than the wounds. Physical wounds would heal: emotional wounds would not. And Itachi was clearly displaying emotional wounds.

"Come on, Itachi, you have to eat sooner or later," Kisame finally piped up, concerned for Itachi's well-being.

"I choose later," Itachi mumbled, setting his chopsticks down. "Just stick it in the fridge. I'll eat it when I'm hungry."

Kisame sighed. "Itachi, no, don't-" But it was too late. Itachi abruptly shoved his chair away from the table, and stood up. He marched out of the kitchen and into the bathroom, which he knew was the only place Kisame wouldn't, or couldn't bother him. He might knock on the door once or twice, but Itachi was fairly certain he would have some privacy. Kisame, left hanging, growled slightly with frustration. This was ending. He didn't care about the risk involved, but this had to be the fifth time Itachi had suffered such grievous injury at Pein's hands. In fact, if it weren't for Konan, Itachi would still be laid up from Pein's first beating, in which he had succeeded in puncturing one of Itachi's lungs, breaking half his ribs and a leg, and severely bruising half of his body. Kisame shoved both of the bowls of ramen in the refrigerator, not bothering to put any sort of covering over them, and grabbed his cloak from where he had tossed it earlier: over the back of the couch. "Itachi, I'm going downstairs," he called. "I'll be back in about half an hour." He didn't wait for a response; he simply walked out of the apartment they shared, slamming the door behind him.

It wasn't like Itachi would respond anyway.

As he walked, Kisame pulled the cloak over his shoulders, fastening it in the front where the fabric met. He wasn't about to be confronting Pein without the security of being able to mask at least some of his movements. The walk all the way down the hall, down the stairs, and down another hall to Pein's room seemed suddenly short: Kisame felt like he was about to explode with anger the entire way. He was certain Pein had sensed him coming, though: he barely had to wait when he pounded insistently on the door. The wood fell out from underneath his knuckles as soon as he ceased to bang on the hollow door. "What?" Pein snapped, gray-ringed eyes sparking with anger. Kisame fixed an equally severe glare into his own countenance, and set it into Pein's eyes.

"Leader-sama, I need a word with you," he said, keeping his voice frostily cordial. Pein stepped aside, wordlessly allowing Kisame to come into the apartment he resided in. Konan had a separate room, given as she was the only female in the organization and Pein's partner. This left Pein alone in his own room. Kisame got the feeling, however, that Pein would be left on his own, anyway. He took a seat at the kitchen table, without waiting for Pein, but then waited, rather irritated, until Pein came over and sat down, as well.

"Well, Kisame?" Pein barked shortly. "What is this about?"

"I have some concerns," Kisame said coldly, accenting the word _concerns, _"About Itachi." Pein raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, so Kisame forged on. "Every time you ask to speak with him privately, he comes back with half his bones snapped in half, his muscles torn and bruised, his skin cut up, and his eyes completely lost. He looks like he went through hell." Kisame fixed his glare on Pein again. "Look like he went through you. I understand the need for discipline, but I feel you are taking it too far. If it weren't for Konan healing the more severe injuries, he would still be bedridden from the very first time you lashed out at him-if you remember, that wasn't nearly as bad as it is now, but it still punctured a lung, broke half his ribs, shattered his leg, and covered fifty percent of his body in bruises. Now, this has gone on long enough. I realize it is not my position to question you, or to demand this from you, but it stops. Now."

"So, you realize it, and yet you still disrespect me?" Pein hissed, an unseen anger quickly coming to light in his eyes. Kisame realized that this was what Pein looked like to Itachi: right before he beat the crap out of him. "You dare sit there and blatantly mouth off to me, and expect me to listen to you, let alone comply with said demands? No, I don't think so! Now get out!"

Somewhere in the middle of this little speech, Pein had risen to his feet, pressing his palms to the table and leaning forward to get in Kisame's face. Kisame, in return, mirrored his posture, glaring back with a defiance Pein hadn't seen in years.

"Don't you dare go through with anything farther than this," Kisame snarled, "because if he comes back and even mentions the word 'rape,' I swear to God, what you do to him will look like the charity work of a saint!"

Kisame slammed his fists down on the table once, and then stepped off and stood up straight. He spread his arms slightly, leaning forward and practically begging Pein to kill him. _I dare you, _he seemed to say, and Pein was terribly, terribly tempted to take him up on that offer. But, there was another way to go.

"What I do to Itachi won't ever be rape," Pein growled, a feral smirk crawling onto his face. "Have you seen the way he looks at me? He'll do anything for me, the dirty little whore. If I so much as insinuate that I'm looking for someone, you know he'll be at my feet begging to be the one."

This hit Kisame harder than he would have liked to admit. "I don't care if he's willing or not," he said venomously, his voice rising. "Because I know you'll do nothing but torture him, and he won't have the heart to tell you to stop. He loves you, Pein! This isn't just some teenage fling: he'd do anything for you and never say no, just because he's too afraid to lose you! And how dare you prey upon that unconditional love! You get your thrills from tormenting him? That make you feel better, to make him feel worse? I could compare you to a sixth-grade bully, but that would be bumping you up four levels."

Pein wasn't sure he was liking where this was going. Kisame's predatory nature was kicking in, and demanding satisfaction. Pein might be beyond Kage level in status as a ninja, but he wasn't sure he could get past Kisame if the shark was so adamant about protecting Itachi. He couldn't kill Kisame: he was a valuable member, and members were becoming scarce at this point. And Kisame could hold that over his head for a good, long, time. Pein knew that the only way to get past Kisame would be to kill him, or to maim him severely. And even then, he would still continue fighting. But why? If Itachi said yes, it was up to him what happened! Why was Kisame so intent on keeping the two of them apart?

"You would dare stand in my way if I wanted him?" Pein snarled. He was looking for the defiance he could use against Kisame; insubordination was one hell of an offense, and Pein could use it to justify any range of actions. "What, want him for yourself?"

"Don't get me wrong," Kisame started, "I love Itachi. But not as a lover…a life's partner. I love him like my kid brother. He's that obnoxious little squirt you want to kill sometimes, but that you would kill _for _any day. I would protect him with my life, if it came to you trying to hurt him like I think you're going to."

Pein shook his head sadly, but a sadistic chuckle broke free of his throat all the same. "Don't be so sure of yourself," he said softly. "I might just have to take some sort of action against you as well, Kisame. You overestimate your own value, here. You are replaceable. Unlike Itachi. He is something truly special. Those eyes, that bloodline: anyone would kill for it. You, on the other hand…I can just go looking for some other Swordsman of the Mist. Sure, you're a great addition to the team, and I wouldn't want to lose you if I had a choice, but I'm in no sticky position if I need to replace you."

Kisame snickered slightly, and turned his back on Pein. Pein smirked slightly; he had him there. For a moment, Kisame was silent. Then, he spoke. "If I have to leave, I'm taking him with me." Pein was almost expecting Kisame to say that, but it still came as something of a shock that he went through with it. He knew the shark was thinking it…but to outright say it?

The door slammed, a glass fell off the counter and shattered on the floor.

Pein hissed, cursed, and walked into the kitchen. He had left a glass of water on the counter next to the sink, and when Kisame slammed the door, the entire apartment had shaken. And now, the glass was on the floor, in a million pieces. Water was splashed all over the tile, pooling in the grout between the tiles and running down the paths it created. Pein sighed, and threw a few paper towels down on the floor. He stepped carefully around the shattered glass, looking for something to pick it all up with. As if he wasn't mad enough at Kisame already…finally, Pein just walled his hands with chakra and used it like a magnet to attract the glass. He simply dropped it in the nearest trash can, repeating this several more times to get the smaller pieces. Kisame was going to get it next time Pein saw him: and that was a threat he was perfectly willing to go through with.

OOOOOOOOOO

"What was that about?"

Itachi had eaten, Kisame could see. The bowl of ramen that was Itachi's (and he could tell, as that bowl was nearly full, and his own had barely a fourth of the original contents left in it,) was empty, and was sitting peacefully in the sink. Kisame had checked all possible sources of disposal, and found the ramen in none of them. He was happy that Itachi was finally eating, but now, Itachi was questioning where he had gone.

"Oh, nothing," Kisame said lightly, dumping his cloak on the back of the sofa again. "Just had a question for Pein about the mission report format from now on. So, I see you ate."

Itachi nodded. The Uchiha had been curled up on the couch with a book when Kisame had entered the apartment again, reading about the uses of fire jutsu against water jutsu. He had set aside the book and sat up when he saw Kisame come in, and had promptly began questioning him in that authoritative way only Itachi ever could. Kisame, of course, had lied. And now, he got the feeling he was going to be facing the consequences.

"So, since you took so long,how about telling me exactly what happened down there that involved a shattering glass?"

"How did you know about that?"

"Zetsu. Said he heard shouting, so he hid in the walls."

"And he told you about this…why?"

"Said you and Pein were fighting over me."

Kisame's face flushed a dark, dark blue, and Itachi sighed. "Don't provoke him, okay?" he asked softly. Kisame took one look into his ruby eyes, and was suddenly compelled to say yes. He nodded once, ignoring the blatant use of genjutsu against him, and dropped the subject.

He hated having a partner who was so good at illusions. He would be speaking with Itachi about that later.

**A/N: Well, not one of my better works, but hey, it's a chapter. Enjoy that, and review to let me know exactly how much.**


	3. Chapter 3

"You really do need to stop."

Pein suddenly glanced up at the sound of Konan's voice. "What?" he asked, not sure he knew what she was referring to.

"Itachi," Konan said simply. "You need to stop beating the crap out of him."

Pein snickered once. "The kid's a masochist," he said dismissively. "He likes it."

Konan shook her head. "Pein, I've seen him after your attacks. He hates it, but he just wants to tell you that he loves you. Don't you see? He'll do anything for you! And all you can do is torture him. That's not fair."

Pein shrugged absently. "I don't particularly care," he said flippantly. "Damn kid can do whatever he wants."

"Just…just stop trying to kill him, okay?"

Pein tried to ignore Konan's withering, pleading stare, but he found it impossible. What he had thought would be a relaxing night pegging bad missions on members he hated with his second in command was turning out to be a guilt trip. "Alright, if it means so much to you, I'll talk to him," he said. He wrote down Kisame's name next to the closest mission: the shark-man would need to leave tomorrow on a solo mission to the Mist. It was a simple scroll retrieval and scouting mission. It would take a few days, at most. And Itachi would be staying right here. Pein thought for a moment, and then put Itachi's name down for a mission between him and Kisame that would begin two days after Kisame returned from the Kiri. Just to avoid suspicion. Then, he put down his own name and Konan's next to the mission that read, "Talk to Madara about next mission." Konan was on a need-to-know basis, and she would only need to know Kisame was gone after he left. Pein rolled up the corresponding scroll for the mission, and tossed it to Konan. "That's for Kisame," he said. He tossed her another scroll, and then one more. "That's for Kakuza and Hidan, and that's for Sasori and Deidara. Give them my most heartfelt greetings."

"Which would be none at all?" Konan quipped, easily catching the scrolls and piling them in her arms. At Pein's aggressive stare, she simply shrugged. "What?" she said innocently. "You said heartfelt!"

OOOOOOOOOO

Pein waited a half an hour after Kisame had left to go to Itachi.

He wanted to make sure the shark-man was safely gone, and also, that Itachi was alone. After a half an hour, Kisame's chakra was out of range, and Itachi's was completely alone in his room. Pein waited until Konan had fallen asleep (she always took a nap in the middle of the day, at exactly the same time: it was just who she was,) and then quietly exited his room and gone up to Itachi's. Sasori and Deidara were outside on the training fields, and bickering about art, as usual. Kakuza was beating the crap out of Hidan, and then tearing his limbs off. Hidan was screaming with pleasure, and then begging Kakuza for more. Kakuza, of course, complied, and then proceeded to cut into Hidan's body as best he could. Pein rolled his eyes at the chakra readings. Hidan's was all over the place: a little chakra in each dismembered limb. It was almost comical. Zetsu was deep underground, waiting for the mailman to come by again. Pein guessed he was hungry. Tobi, or Madara, was somewhere deep within the lair, and, since he was moving at a human pace, Pein figured he was Madara at this point. He walked up to Itachi's door without any fear of being seen, and knocked insistently on it several times.

"Come in, it's open," he heard Itachi call from within, and twisted the knob open. He pushed the door out of the way and entered the room, slamming it behind him. Itachi glanced up to see who had entered the room; when he saw it was Pein, he leapt to his feet, and then sank into a deep bow at his leader's feet.

"What can I do for you, Leader-sama?" he murmured, keeping his head bowed. Pein stopped barely a foot in front of Itachi, folding his arms across his chest and smirking slightly.

"Get up," he said harshly. Itachi scrambled to obey, jumping to his feet and taking a discombobulated step back. Pein easily closed the gap between them, effectively forcing Itachi back. Itachi took another step back, still refusing to meet his master's gaze, and Pein moved forward again. Itachi's face was quickly becoming creased with concern and confusion, and he was flushing quite badly. Pein's sadistic smirk was growing with every step he took. Itachi's steps were becoming smaller and smaller as he approached the wall on the other side of the room; Pein's steps were becoming larger as he closed in on Itachi. Finally, the Uchiha hit the wall: and Pein was quite happy to see him there.

"Let me see those eyes of yours," he whispered, sliding his hand under Itachi's chin. He lifted Itachi's face to his own, raising his other hand and brushing the dark hair out of Itachi's face. To his disappointment, Itachi flinched away from his hand, closing his eyes and turning his head away. Pein's eyes narrowed in anger; his mouth curved downwards into a frown. "Look at me!" he commanded, dealing Itachi a harsh smack the other way. Itachi's head whipped to the side, chased by his stunningly beautiful hair, coming free of its ponytail. A small sound of pain issued from his throat, but he pushed it down and opened his eyes again to meet Pein's. Itachi struggled to hold his leader's gaze, his breath coming faster and faster, catching in his throat and then hesitantly breaking free. Pein's fingers around his chin turned into a bruising grip as Pein seized Itachi's face and crushed his lips to his own, yanking Itachi closer with a hand around the waist.

Shock seemed to etch itself into every one of Itachi's porcelain features. He froze, like a perfect statue, and then finally relaxed into Pein's arms. He hesitantly raised his arms, wrapping them around Pein's neck. Pein reached up, grabbed both of Itachi's wrists and forced them down. He took the Uchiha's slender hands in his own, forcing them up over his head and pinning the long-fingered hand to the wall behind him. Itachi whimpered slightly at the bruising grip, but did not protest. He knew better than to fight against Pein. Pein's kiss was swiftly bruising his lips; his hands were already discoloring from the firm grip with which Pein held him. Pein's free hand slipped down into the curve of his waist, freely accessible due to the fact that Itachi had removed his cloak. The hand snuck down to Itachi's rear, running down over and eliciting a small squeak from the Uchiha. Pein smirked with victory, forcing his tongue between Itachi's slack lips and pulling him closer with the same hand on his ass. He ground his hips into Itachi's, extracting a groan from Itachi.

Itachi, while confuse, was in heaven. Pein, it seemed, had finally recognized that he cared for him. He was kissing him back freely, wanting nothing more than to extend the life of this one romantic moment he had left. He gently coaxed Pein's tongue farther back in his mouth, responding to everything Pein offered him elsewhere. Rough kisses, firm grasps, harsh grinding: Itachi didn't care. Pein was finally paying attention to him, and he loved it. Pein's hand rose to tangle in his raven hair, roughly yanking the tie from his ebony locks. Itachi felt several strands of hair come loose at this, and softly whine din complaint. Pein seized a full handful of Itachi's hair, yanking his head back and breaking the kiss. Itachi bent over backwards slightly with the force of Pein's hold on his hair, struggling to get his breath back. His mouth hung open slightly, and he drew in his breath as slowly as he could, fighting with himself to control himself. He wanted nothing more than to throw himself at the man before him, beg for more: but he knew he couldn't. He had to restrain himself to avoid angering Pein.

Too late.

A harsh smack was dealt to him, and Pein pulled on Itachi's hair again. The Uchiha sank to his knees, head bent back, staring up into Pein's gray, ringed eyes. He slowly reached up with one hand, trying to just touch Pein one more time. His hand was roughly smacked away.

"Please," he whispered, "Please…I love you. Surely, you can see that-!"

Pein hit him again. "Don't say such foolish things," he snapped, finally releasing Itachi's hair. "Love means nothing to me. Nor should it mean anything to you." Seeing Itachi's dropped, depressed gaze, however, he made a snap decision. Why not, seeing as the teen was that into him? This could be very beneficial for him. Pein slowly crouched down in front of Itachi, gently taking his face in his hands and turning it to face him. "Tell you what," he whispered. "Konan's going out tonight. I won't hurt you…if you manage to please me."

Itachi's eyes seemed to come alive with the prospect. "I will," he said breathlessly, caught off guard by the notion. But, he would do anything for Pein: _anything._ Pein nodded once, and stood up.

"My room," he said. "Ten o'clock, sharp. Knock exactly four times on the door so I know it's you."

Itachi nodded, and Pein turned and left him on the floor. He exited the room in silence, leaving Itachi crumpled, but elated, on the floor.

_He finally sees that I love him. Maybe…maybe, just maybe, he'll treat me well for once._

OOOOOOOOO

"Well?"

Konan was waiting for him when Pein returned. Pein gave the woman an irritated glare, but said nothing that would be regarded as snappish or nasty. "He's coming by later to talk," Pein said simply. "And I'd prefer if it was alone. Just the two of us. He might open up a little more if he didn't feel like he had a reputation to maintain."

Konan nodded slowly. It was a perfectly valid excuse. "Well, I suppose that would be alright," she said. "I'll arrange for you to have an hour uninterrupted. But beyond that, I'm not sure I can hold attention spans."

"What exactly are you planning?" Pein asked. His brow furrowed slightly as he thought about what Konan could possibly be planning. Anything that could keep all of the members of the Akatsuki in one place was either mandatory under penalty of death or severe injury, or was something bloody, gory, nasty, vile, disgusting, and utterly revolting to any sane human being. Or, as close to human as possible. Half of the Akatsuki wasn't human, and the rest barely were.

"Drinking game. What else?"

Pein rolled his eyes. Of course. "Sasori, though," he said. Konan shrugged.

"It's a pride thing," she said. "He'll do it to prove he's better than everyone else."

"What if he says no?"

"I'll bring up the pride thing. Trust me, he'll do it. And, even if he doesn't, he'll do nothing but work on puppets all night. It'll be fine. Sasori pretty much keeps to himself."

"And he doesn't ask questions," Pein sighed. "And for that, I might just keep him around for a little longer than Madara suggested."

"That's always good," Konan said slowly. "How difficult is it to explain to the rest of the members why we randomly disappear sometimes? Why members go on missions and never come back? Why Tobi's still here? Lying is probably the most fun a woman can have."

"Without taking off her clothes."

Konan looked shocked for a moment, but then reached out and smacked Pein's arm. "Man-ho," she muttered, glaring playfully at him. Pein shook his head, and dumped his cloak in the closest chair.

"Even if I'm a ho, it still happens for me. And you are still a virgin."

"I won't die of an STD. I won't get pregnant. I will still have my dignity for a good, long time."

"I can't get pregnant, either."

"Too late for the dignity."

**A/N: So, PeinIta hot smex. Should I up the rating?**


	4. Chapter 4

Itachi's heart was pounding as he made his way down to Pein's room. He knew exactly where it was, down to the last centimeter into the exact middle of the doorway. He could walk the path blindfolded. His feet knew exactly where to travel, as he had long focused on these dismal stairs as he made his eternal walk down to his doom after a failed mission. The feeling of dread, horror, and anticipation was becoming familiar now: Itachi didn't pay it half a mind as he walked down the stone stairs without a railing, elegantly trotting down the steep indentations in the wall. Pein's was the only room underground: it was the most secure, and the most secluded. Itachi didn't know why. He absently walked through a puddle, knowing full well that it was Pein's way of keeping an intruder alarm system. The entire of the stairs were slick with water, and it frequently pooled in the pits of the rocks they were carved from. Itachi walked the rest of the way down the poorly-lit hallway, running a hand through his bangs as he approached the heavy wooden door, reinforced with steel bars, that hid the entrance to Pein's room. Itachi nervously pushed his bangs back from his face, and raised a hand to knock on the door. He knocked four times, as Pein had instructed, and then took a step back to wait. He heard footsteps approaching the door, and took a deep, shuddering breath. The wooden door swung in, revealing-

Konan.

The blue-haired woman looked stressed. Her brow was creased, her eyes were heavy, and the corners of her mouth were turned down in a frown. Her eyes narrowed further at the sight of Itachi standing there; she stepped aside, though, and let him in. "I'll have you know, I don't like this," she said, closing the door behind him. "I know why you're here. And I don't approve of it. You know full well he'll only use you for sex."

"He's paying attention to me," Itachi murmured. "He's an intelligent man. He'll catch on eventually, no matter how much he tries to blind himself."

"Don't be so confident," Konan sneered, locking the door twice. "Pein doesn't do anything unless it's in his interest. Being in a relationship with you isn't going to serve his own interests, and might even hamper them. He won't do it."

Itachi shook his head. "I don't even care," he whispered. "All I want is to feel his touch, and pretend, for a mere half an hour, that he might care, just a little…"

"He'll hurt you."

Itachi shrugged. "He's done worse. But this time, it will be both pain and pleasure. As long as he's giving me the smallest bit of positive attention, I'll live as his slave."

Konan rolled her eyes. "Such wonderful devotion," she said softly. "So wasted. It's a shame; you deserve better than him."

"Are you implying yourself?"

Itachi's voice was so flat, and he kept so straight a face, Konan was wondering if he was asking her a question or making a statement. Still, she decided to take him as seriously as possible. "No, I am not," she said firmly. "My own love died years ago." She motioned to the couch Itachi was standing by with one hand, adding, "Sit." Itachi tentatively did so, as if expecting an explosion of some sort. "Pein went out," Konan said. "He took all of his bodies with him. Lord knows where he went. No, the real God, not this idiot."

Itachi smiled softly. "I'm an agnostic, so I really don't care who you pray to."

"I'll respect you if you respect me. Deal?"

"Sounds good. Deal."

Konan nodded once, and plunked down on the couch next to Itachi. "I don't know where the hell he thinks he's going at this time of night," she muttered, folding her hands and bracing her elbows on her spread knees. "Son of bitch thinks he can leave us all hanging at ten o'clock at night-"

Itachi smiled. "He gets nasty with me being on time, and he goes missing."

A sudden rushing sound interrupted their conversation. Konan's brows knit together even further, and she walked into her room. Itachi heard the sound of feet moving up stairs; there were stairs in Konan's room? Still, he made no move to follow. He didn't know where he was allowed and where he wasn't. Konan came back a moment later saying, "Yeah, he's sulking. If I know Pein, he'll be on the roof, letting the heavens open and just pour."

Itachi glanced at Konan. "You have stairs in your room?"

"I the closet," she said. "It's sort of like an attic for me. I like above ground; he likes below ground. And, since he's kind of in charge, we got downstairs. His choice, of course. But I told him I would take a separate room if he didn't get me the stairs and the second room." Konan smiled, and sat down again next to Itachi. "It's got a window up there."

"Sounds nice," Itachi said. "He respects you, huh?"

Konan nodded. "He's known me for a while, that's why," she said. "Back when he was still actually a nice guy. I dunno what happened to him, but now he's a jerk."

The closed door to Pein's bedroom opened. Itachi turned around hopefully, but then, his heart fell again. It was a tall, dark-haired man, not at all like his Pein. This one had no piercings, and hair as dark as the night. His entire body was bone thin, and it made Itachi shiver to look at him. Konan, however, seemed shocked.

"Pein!" she gasped, getting up and running over to him. "What in all the nine layers of hell are you doing up?!"

"Other bodies are all asleep," the man, supposedly Pein, whispered. He practically fell into Konan's arms when she reached him. "Figured…I had a minute to get up…"

"God, Pein, don't do this to yourself," Konan scolded, lifting him up with startling ease. Itachi leapt to his feet; whoever this was, he wasn't someone to be disrespecting, clearly.

Konan glanced at Itachi, and then, seemingly on a whim, carried Pein over to the couch, and set him down next to Itachi. "Talk," she ordered. "Now. Since I can actually boss this body around."

Pein's body gave her an alarmingly nasty glare. "I can easily wake up the others."

"But you're not going to," Konan said. "You need to replenish your chakra. And eat something. You're going to die tomorrow, I swear."

Itachi still didn't sit down. He was beyond confused now. "Um…an explanation would be nice," he said slowly, taking a step back from "Pein." Or whoever this was. It couldn't possibly be Pein. The Pein Itachi knew was strong, powerful, and had a spirit as fiery as his hair. He wasn't this emaciated figure that sat before him, relying on others so much. But then, the man swung his head around to fix Itachi in his gray-ringed eyes.

Gray. Ringed.

Who was this?

"I am Pein," the man said, his voice a chilling rasp. "I am Pein in his true form. This is my original body; the others are mere puppets to hide my true face. I used to be Nagato, an orphan, homeless boy running around the streets of Amegakure. But then, I took my life into my own hands. I took over the village, started Akatsuki, and I don't owe you an explanation. This body is only in such terrible shape because I spend all my time on the others."

Itachi wanted to deny it. But those gray eyes were a haunting confirmation of who this really was. Itachi fought down a retch at the sight of Pein's true body: _this _was the true face of the Pein he knew and loved so dearly? Pein had been lying to them this entire time? Pein…what was he…?

"Who are you?" Itachi whispered. "What are you, where are you, _how are you even still alive?! _You're nothing but skin and bones! And yet, you're the most powerful man who's ever lived?! You can't seriously be Pein! You can't-!"

"Just because I'm different, you don't hold those idiotic, romantic feelings for me anymore?" Pein, or Nagato, snickered. "Well, good. I don't need you anyway."

Itachi's face didn't even register shock. All that he could feel was pure and simple hatred. "My God, you are Pein," he whispered, almost disgusted with himself. "I was going to deny it, to say that the Pein I loved was so much more than this. He had enough self respect to take care of himself. But, I guess you aren't worth my time anyway. Have a nice life with only yourself for company. I get the feeling you'll be all alone for a good damned hundred years."

Nagato merely smirked, and leaned back. "Suite yourself," he sneered. "Because the chances are, you'll be alone, too."

Itachi ignored Konan as he walked out of the room. He went around the back of the couch, leaving Konan staring at Pein with something like tearful shock on her face. Nagato just looked smug. As Itachi wrenched the door open, he saw Pein's Deva body on the other side. He ignored him, too, shoving him out of the way and storming out of the room. "Itachi!" Pein growled, reaching out to grab Itachi's wrist. Itachi smacked him away.

"I don't want to talk to you, you selfish, lying, disgusting, bastard, son of a bitch!"

Konan's mouth was hanging open as Itachi made his grand exit. Pein's Deva body also felt its jaw drop. Nagato merely raised his eyebrows. Konan whipped around to Deva, staring incredulously at him. "What the hell was that?" she whispered, looking between Pein and Nagato. Pein shrugged and entered the room, walking into his bedroom and slamming the door. Nagato's gray-ringed eyes slid closed, and he leaned back on the couch.

"I couldn't let him love me," he said absently, as if he wasn't really there. "He can't be near me."

"And why not?!" Konan fired back. "This kid is making own life miserable for your God-damned sake, and all you can do is throw that in his face?! Pein, this isn't some stupid teenage fling! He seriously loves you, he wants you, he couldn't live without you! He pours his entire heart into your hands, and all you can do is act like you don't care, treat him like a pest, like some stupid twelve-year-old fangirl off the streets?! Pein, he loves you!"

"_I'm aware of that, Konan!!"_

For an emaciated man at the point of death, Pein's voice was remarkably loud.

Konan fell silent, her mouth snapping shut at the sound of Pein's-no, Nagato's-voice. Nagato took a deep, coughing breath, and tried again, in a much softer tone: "I'm aware of that, Konan. But it was the only way. He. Can't. Be. Near. Me. Can you please just take my word for it?"

"No!" Konan snapped. "I can't accept you breaking his heart without a fucking valid reason!"

Nagato was surprised. Konan _never _swore. And when she did, it was only because there was simply no other way to express herself than a nasty piece of language that would give her grandmother a heart attack. He took another deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts and phrase them in a way Konan would accept without giving himself away completely. Konan look at him expectantly; Nagato put his Deva body to sleep, knowing he would need every ounce of his strength to take the punch he knew Konan would give him.

"Because…I love him back."

OOOOOOOOOO

Itachi burst into his apartment, fighting the tears that threatened to overcome him. He slammed the door firmly behind him, marching straight to his bedroom and ignoring Kisame. The shark-man was sitting on the couch, reading. But he looked up when Itachi came in, seemingly concerned.

"What happened?" he asked, deeply worried about Itachi. As the first of the tears poured down Itachi's cheeks, Kisame stood up, dropping his book and trying to get to Itachi before he got to the bedroom.

"I don't want to talk about it!"

Itachi slammed the door in his face, narrowly missing Kisame's nose. It was only the blue Akatsuki member's quick reflexes that saved him from a trip to Konan's office. "What happened?" Kisame said gently, trying to get through the Itachi. He heard Itachi throw something solid against the wall; it then hit the floor. Something else of the same consistency hit the wall, and Kisame figured it was Itachi's shoes. "Can you talk about it?" he asked, gently knocking on the door. "Itachi?"

"Go away! I hate that son of a bitch! I don't ever want to see his face again!!"

Kisame sighed, and leaned against the wall next to the door. "You gotta talk about this, Itachi," he said, trying to speak lightly and calmly. He was walking on eggshells, he knew, and one wrong move could trigger a land mine. "Can you tell me what changed your mind?"

"Bastard was lying."

Kisame sighed. Yeah, that cleared it up. "He rejected you?"

"Even better."

Kisame sighed again, letting his head hit the wall with a firm, _clunk!_ "Okay, so, can I get some elaboration?"

"No! I don't want to talk about it! We're not teenage girls, God damn it!"

Okay, that was uncalled for. "You don't have much experience with this!" Kisame screamed, "But I actually give a damn about your sorry ass!"

Kisame wished he could take back the words as soon as he said them. He felt the liquid sting as they rolled off his tongue so easily, and flinched as soon as he said it. He heard a muffled sob from within the room; Itachi was probably lying face-down on the bed, crying into his pillow. Well, at least he had the dignity to try to hide it…Kisame tried the door knob, and sighed roughly as he found it was locked. It was either break it, or talk Itachi into opening it. "Look, Itachi, I'm sorry I said that," he said softly. _"That _was uncalled for, and I'm sorry. I'm just kind of frustrated because you won't listen. Can you open the door?"

"No."

Kisame sighed again, sinking down on his haunches against the wall. It was late…he didn't have time to deal with this. Well, he would give Itachi the night to think about it, and then try again in the morning. Maybe some sleep and a little time to cool down would give Itachi a little more stability. Get his thoughts together. With this plan in mind, Kisame stood up, and headed for his own bed.

**A/N: Wow, you won't see this next one coming…didn't see that one coming, either. –points up- So, yeah, reviews would be epic…**


	5. Chapter 5

The first thing that hit Kisame that morning when he woke up was worry.

He immediately swung his feet out and over the side of the bed, standing up as quickly as he could without hurting himself. He wasn't as coordinated early in the morning, or when he first woke up, as he was later in the day, when his body had had some time to get accustomed to being awake. He usually lay in bed for a good ten minutes, just trying to acquaint himself with the waking world. But today, his worried mind refused to allow him that luxury. He stood up, yanking on his pants and shirt over the simple boxers he had slept in. He ran a hand through his hair, and then padded over his partner's room, barefoot and barely dressed. He tried the knob, and was happy to find it was unlocked. He opened the door a crack, and then gently knocked. No answer. Concerned even further, Kisame pushed open the door.

Itachi wasn't there.

On his neatly made bed lay his Akatsuki cloak and slashed headband, with a small piece of paper on top of both of these items. Kisame rushed over to the bed, picking up the paper. His eyes hurriedly skimmed it, trying to take in the entire message at once. At first, he didn't believe the sequence of words laid out across the paper before him. He had to read it four times very carefully in order to reaffirm it to himself that this wasn't a cruel joke. No; what Itachi's neat handwriting penned out here was no joke, however much Kisame wished it was.

_I'm not coming back. Give this to Pein. Don't come after me. And tell Konan not to let it rain._

Such a small amount of words. Such damage to Kisame's heart. _Don't come after me. _The words ripped a hole in Kisame's chest. Sure, he and the kid weren't what most would call close, but deep down, under whatever annoyance he held for him, Kisame considered Itachi a younger brother. He might irritate Kisame at times, but he still cared about him. He feared for Itachi's life, at this point. Itachi had cried! Hell, he had shown _emotion!_ One knew it was bad when Itachi actually showed emotion, let alone so strongly as to cry. Kisame had made a mistake in leaving him, he knew. Itachi would do something he would regret later, he just knew it! Kisame was ready to kick himself. But, if he was kicking himself, he was beating Pein to a pulp. One thing was for sure: bastard was goin' _down._

Kisame grabbed the cloak, headband, and paper, jammed his feet into his shoes, and charged down to the kitchen.

OOOOOOOOO

"_Son of a bitch!"_

Kisame hurled the cloak and headband at Pein as soon as the shock of orange hair greeted his sight. The primal scream burst from Kisame's throat without a second thought; it even startled Hidan. And Hidan was the one who was usually more disrespectful to Pein then anyone! "Lying, manipulative bastard! Look at this! Jack-fucking-ass!"

Hidan raised an eyebrow. "I'm proud of you," he said, clapping Kisame on the shoulder and sitting down at the table with whatever dreadful animal he had killed last night. Pein's face was the epitome of anger: he glared at Kisame, dumping the cloak and headband on the table, and declaring:

"You have ten seconds to explain yourself before I beat the living crap out of you."

Kisame thrust the paper at Pein, a small, yellow sticky note. "You jackass!" he proclaimed. "If you're beating the crap out of me, words can't even describe what I'm going to do to you!"

As he read, Pein's gray-ringed eyes grew wider and wider. "Son of a whore," he whispered. "Itachi, you immature little brat. Konan!" The kunoichi glanced up from her breakfast to briefly meet eyes with Pein.

"Bitch, I told you so. I feel no sympathy for you."

"Well?! Is he going to do it or not?"

Konan didn't say a word. A second later, a steak knife was lodged in the cabinets behind Pein, a small piece of orange hair fluttering to the floor. "How should I know?" Konan growled, her voice suddenly low and animalistic. "I will fucking kill you," she continued, "If you ever pull a stunt like that again. No, shut. Up! You know I could, and you know I will. I don't give a crap about whatever you've got to say for yourself, and what happened last night means nothing now. Shut up! I'm going after him. And listen to him this time: don't make it rain." Konan abruptly stood up, grabbing the French toast she had on her plate and carrying it with her in one hand as she pulled her cloak on over the half-fishnet shirt and shinobi pants she wore. "Jackass. I am going to kill you once I get him back!" And then she stormed out. Pein looked beyond shocked now. More disrespect in five minutes than in five _years, _he swore. Konan's body was already trailing paper as she walked out of the kitchen; she was in butterflies by the time she was out of there. Pein watched her go, something like sadness on his face. Deidara entered the kitchen and sat down next to Sasori, one visible baby-blue eye innocent and wide.

"What happened, un?"

Pein sighed, placing his palms on the table. His eyes slid closed; his head hung in seeming exhaustion. "When I count to five," he growled, "I want everyone _out. Of this. Room!!"_

Understandably, there wasn't a soul left in the room in five seconds.

Pein sighed roughly, sliding down into his designated chair at the table. Konan was angry with him. Kisame was going to kill him in his sleep. Itachi was going to kill _himself._ God knows where the kid went. Pein couldn't pull out his rain, because he would harm Konan in the meantime. He couldn't go after Itachi; the Uchiha would just be driven deeper into depression. Pein let his head hit the table with a deep, grating sigh. Deva might not be the right body for this…

Unconsciously, the sky over the Akatsuki headquarters began to weep.

OOOOOOOOOO

At the gates to Otogakure, a hooded figure approached.

Jiroubou was immediately suspicious. Cloaked in black, the mysterious figure approached on silent wings of death. His entire _person _simply reeked of the underworld. He was a man who had gone through hell and black, and he wasn't taking no for an answer. He stalked towards Otoga in the early morning mist, silent as the whispers of water and air that surrounded him. Jiroubou rose his feet, unsure of what to do. Through the iron bars of the gates, the person said simply,

"I want to see Orochimaru."

Jiroubou's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Who are you, and why do you want to see Orochimaru-sama?"

The man slowly lifted his head, reaching up with one pale, long-fingered hand to grasp the edge of the hood over his face. Going just by the hands, Jiroubou would swear he was looking at a female. But, as the person pulled the hood back the smallest bit, Jiroubou caught glimpse of stark red eyes, slashed by a black ring marked by three tomoe and spinning slowly. "I said: I want to see Orochimaru."

Jiroubou was no fool. If this person didn't see Orochimaru, he would kill everyone in his way until he saw the snake lord. Jiroubou swallowed hard, and the gates parted just enough for the slight figure to pass through. "This way," he said, closing and locking the gates behind him. Kidomaru jumped down from the topmost tower of the guard's towers, landing in Jiroubou's place.

"Go," the sound ninja said, granting Jiroubou his leave. Jiroubou walked off, with the mysterious Uchiha in tow, heading right for Orochimaru's main complex.

Predictably, Orochimaru was in a nasty mood.

Jiroubou had only knocked twice on the door before Orochimaru yanked the door open, glaring angrily through golden, slitted eyes. "What?" he snapped. Jiroubou pointed wordlessly to the man standing next to him, and barely managed to gasp out,

"He wants to talk to you."

"And what is so important that you had to disrupt my sleep?! Dear God, Jiroubou, do you know what time in the morning it is?! Four. A. M. Four o'clock in the morning, bird-brain! I don't wake up until at least seven; six-thirty, if you are extremely lucky and my body takes an issue with sleeping later. Now, if I may have your identity before I brutally slaughter you?!"

"In only a kimono and looking like a mess?"

Jiroubou paled considerably, and the started running.

"_Excuse_ me?"

Orochimaru looked ready to explode. The expression on his face was comparable to someone being slapped. "Oh, you did _not _just go there. Who are you, to speak to me with such insolence and audacity?"

A pale hand flashed out, securing Orochimaru's throat in its grasp. Orochimaru had no time to react; his head suddenly snapped back, and he was lifted clear off his feet and into the air. The man tipped his head back to fix the terrified sannin in his gaze, and the hood finally fell from his face.

"I am Uchiha Itachi," he growled, tightening his grip until bruises formed under his fingers. "I haunt your dreams, snake, and I hold your life in my hands. I always have, always will, and will never relinquish it. You will allow me to join your village, on equal footing with you, with no consequences, and you will not question me or defy my will. Am I understood?"

A solid kick to the stomach sufficed for Itachi's answer.

Itachi coughed slightly and hurled Orochimaru down the hallway. Orochimaru hit the wall a good hundred feet later, slamming into it with bone-crushing force. Tayuya, who was right down the hall, suddenly broke into a run, dropping to her knees and catching Orochimaru as he slid down the wall, unconscious. She looked up, horrified, and was met with the stunning blood-red Sharingan.

"Sasuke?" she whispered, confused.

Itachi laughed bitterly. "You wish," he snickered. "No; Itachi. Uchiha. Itachi. Know my name; remember my face. When he wakes up, tell him I'm waiting for him."

Tayuya nodded swiftly. If she feared Orochimaru, this man must be worth four times the fear and respect she held for Orochimaru. Itachi turned coldly on his heel, and walked away, cloak billowing out behind him. Tayuya watched him enter Orochimaru's room, heart in her throat. What was he doing in there? Oh, Orochimaru was not going to like this…he was hurt, too! "Get a medic over here!" Tayuya called into the gathering crowd. Kabuto was already pushing his way to the front of the crowd, having caught the scene right at occurrence. He dropped to his knees next to Tayuya, who held Orochimaru in her lap. He was breathing, but a thin line of blood ran from his mouth. Kabuto pressed his palm to Orochimaru's forehead, checking for damage. A small sigh of relief escaped him.

"He's fine," he said. "Here, give him to me…"

Tayuya reluctantly handed over Orochimaru. Kabuto carried him away immediately, disappearing rather quickly around the corner. Tayuya's eyes narrowed in anger; she wanted a word with Itachi!

OOOOOOOOOO

Itachi quickly and methodically searched Orochimaru's quarters. He knew he was here: Sasuke. His younger brother. If he wasn't bothering Orochimaru, he was bound to be somewhere near the snake. Itachi stuck his head through every door, checked every room: but still, no Sasuke. He was about to give up and look elsewhere, outside Orochimaru's personal quarters, when the door opened.

The girl who had caught Orochimaru earlier was there.

"What?" Itachi growled, surprising himself. He sounded eerily like Orochimaru.

"Why?"

Itachi snorted once. "We knew each other back in Akatsuki," he said simply. "He gave me crap, I taught him his lesson. Seems he's forgotten."

"He didn't know who you were!" Tayuya said defensively, moving into the room and closing the door behind her. The main chamber of Orochimaru's room consisted of a fireplace, several couches, and the rest were doors into his other rooms. Itachi was examining a sword hanging over the mantle. "He didn't deserve that, even if he did know! I'm sure a simple slap, or-or something might have done it, but to throw him a couple hundred feet like that was uncalled for-!"

"He knows his place!" Itachi roared, suddenly rounding on the girl. "It is time you learned yours."

Tayuya fled.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Pein was still in the kitchen an hour later, when Deidara came back in.

"What happened, un?"

Pein snorted slightly with laughter, stirring his coffee, which had long gone cold. "I fucked up," he muttered. "Royally."

Deidara snickered slightly. "If you're referring to Itachi leaving, and that was your fault, yeah, you did, un," he said bluntly. "But don't kill yourself over it, un. To err is to be human."

Pein almost laughed. "I'm not human," he said bitterly. "Or, at least, I can't be."

"You're human, un," Deidara proclaimed bravely. "Don't try to trick yourself out of it just because you've got cool eyes, un."

Pein shook his head. "I can't be human," he repeated. "Not to the people of Ame, not to the Akatsuki…not to Itachi."

"Itachi loved you, un," Deidara muttered bitterly. "And you totally disregarded that, un. You were his sun. And you just told him the sun didn't exist, un. What's he got to live for now, huh?"

Pein glared at Deidara. "I know, I screwed him over!" he snapped. "It's done, it's over, all is said and done, and I can't take it back, no matter how much I wish I could. Itachi's gone, it's my fault, so on and so forth. Don't think you can get away with disrespecting me, either."

"Wasn't trying, un." Deidara stood up from the chair he had across from Pein. "But think about it un."

Pein barely even blinked a response. He'd been thinking about it for as long as he'd been sitting here, and the more he did, the more he hated himself.

**A/N: Emo…review.**


	6. Chapter 6

Orochimaru woke up pissed.

The second he felt consciousness begin to tickle at the edges of his waking mind, he tried to move. Obviously, not the smartest choice. He was met by a splitting headache, and someone pushing him back to lie down again. Orochimaru meekly obeyed, for once, groaning in pain and rubbing his forehead. "How long was I out?" he muttered, eyes still closed and never opened.

"Only an hour or so. You took a hard one, there. For a while, I thought we were going to have to medically induce a coma."

"We?" Obviously, the speaker was Kabuto. Orochimaru didn't have to open his eyes to figure that one out. But, the way Kabuto spoke, he made it sound as if there were more people in the room. A touch to his shoulder startled him; Orochimaru opened his eyes, golden orbs suddenly meeting the much darker ones of the person sitting next to him. Tayuya shrank back a bit at the sight of the scathing glare, but was still undeterred. She reached out, feeling the soft, supple skin of Orochimaru's shoulder under her fingertips, working her way up his neck to gently bring his hair over his shoulder. Orochimaru lifted his shoulders a bit, digging the rest of his hair out from underneath himself. Tayuya began brushing the ebony locks as soon as she had them all, leaving Orochimaru to ponder over whether to backhand the girl or to thank her. Orochimaru chose option C: say nothing at all.

Kabuto entered into his field of vision, sitting down next to him and sighing roughly. "You're alright," he said. "No lasting damage. I healed it all. Give yourself a day to recover, and don't get hit in the head for another week, at the very least. I don't recommend it to begin with, but you're particularly vulnerable now more than ever-"

"Thank you, Kabuto. So, when can I be up and walking?"

"Don't even think about it. I don't care what I have to do, you are staying here for the rest of the day!"

"Hell no!"

"Half of the day."

"No!"

"The next four hours."

"Two."

"Three!"

"Deal."

Orochimaru leaned back again, groaning and rubbing at his sinuses. "I hate him," he muttered. "I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!"

Kabuto smiled softly, reaching out and taking Orochimaru's hand. "You'll live," he promised. Orochimaru relaxed merely at his lover's touch: Kabuto somehow had that effect on him. Tayuya finished brushing Orochimaru's hair in a hurry; she then left the two to their devices.

Somehow, she got the feeling Orochimaru wasn't going to be resting very much.

OOOOOOOOO

Itachi sat in the kitchen, chewing on an onigiri and thinking.

He couldn't go back to Akatsuki; obviously. He couldn't go back to Konoha; another obvious one. He didn't particularly enjoy Otoga, but it really was his only option at this point. Orochimaru was, as far as he knew, perfectly fine, and should be emerging from whatever medically-induced coma he was in right now and come in seeking revenge. Itachi snorted softly at the thought: he owned Orochimaru. That piece of ass was _his, _and anyone who had a problem with that would have a bullet in their brain if they dared voice it.

Speak of the devil.

Orochimaru strode into the kitchen, and suddenly, the air became thick with tension. It was only him and Itachi in the room, and neither was fond of the other.

Itachi spoke first.

"If I ever have such disrespect from you again, you won't even know what I will do to you."

Orochimaru snickered as Itachi made his threat. "I'm not scared of you," he declared, confidence in his voice and in his posture. He opened the cabinet above the sink, fished out a tea bag, and grabbed a tea mug while he was over there. He filled the mug with water, stuck it in the microwave, and heated the water to boiling. As soon as he turned away from the counter, though, he found himself staring at deadly Sharingan. Orochimaru, startled, raised his hands to push Itachi away. Itachi, however, was only infuriated by his efforts. He took both of Orochimaru's hands in his, and forced them back, away from his body. He pinned Orochimaru against the counter with his hips, drawing deadly close to Orochimaru. The Otokage seemed to have lost all pretense of calm, aloof composure: his breath came in short, ragged gasps, and his hands began to shake. Itachi felt this, and a smirk worked its way across his face. Orochimaru was his: and he didn't care who had something to say about it! Itachi leaned in close to Orochimaru, letting his lips grace the pale column of Orochimaru's throat. The sannin instinctively tipped his head back, a small noise of fear escaping his throat.

"Old memories," Itachi whispered, "die hard."

A swift kiss to his jaw, and Orochimaru had had enough. He lashed out viciously against Itachi, kicking with his legs at the exposed hips pinning him down. A sharp twist, a short cry, and Orochimaru had freed one of his arms. He pushed against Itachi, who stumbled back, reeling from the force of Orochimaru's knee meeting his gut. Orochimaru moved to throw a sharp right hook into Itachi's jaw, but the Uchiha was too quick. He caught Orochimaru's wrist, twisted it sharply, and backhanded the sannin so hard he fell to the floor. A short cry of pain and surprise was ripped from Orochimaru's throat as he hit the floor on his side, catching himself on one forearm. The kimono he was wearing spread open around him like a silken flower, held together by the sash at his waist and barely covering his pale thighs. Itachi took a step closer, crouching down next to Orochimaru and leaning over him triumphantly. "Such a nice figure," he murmured, ghosting one hand up Orochimaru's thigh. "I wonder what the rest of it looks like-"

"Itachi."

Itachi stood up at the sound of a sudden harsh voice. He slowly turned, only to see Kabuto standing in the doorway. He snickered slightly seeing only the nerdy-looking teen as his opposition force. "What do you want?" Itachi sneered.

"Leave him alone."

Itachi was surprised, to say the least. No lengthy lecture? No threats, no over-protective remarks, no lies, no…nothing? Itachi didn't really know what to say.

"I know about Pein. Don't take it out on Orochimaru-sama."

_That _hit home. Much more than Itachi cared to admit. He felt a stab of pain strike his heart, and he suddenly felt a stab of remorse at his lack of control. He should have been able to control his own lust…and blood lust. He had been so eager to establish his position as in charge that he had forgotten the reason. He just wanted to be in control of something for once…he shook his head sadly, and left without a word.

Orochimaru pushed himself to his feet, pulling the kimono closed over his lithe legs. "Thank you," he whispered, accepting Kabuto's hand and pulling himself up by it. Kabuto nodded, and, as soon as Orochimaru had regained his feet, pulled him into a protective embrace. Orochimaru fell right into Kabuto's arms, stepping back with him as Kabuto sat down in one of the chairs around the table.

"Are you okay?"

Orochimaru nodded, trembling slightly. "I'm alright." Kabuto pulled him down onto his lap, and Orochimaru settled his head on Kabuto's shoulder. "Thank you," he repeated. Kabuto nodded softly, gently stroking Orochimaru's raven hair away from his face.

"He hit you…didn't he?"

Orochimaru barely nodded, but that alone was enough to make Kabuto's blood boil.

"What else?"

"Nothing," Orochimaru said softly. It as a half-hearted lie: his head was pounding, his heart was racing, and horrifying images from Tsukiyomi were still racing through his mind. The first time Orochimaru had ever experienced the Nightmare Realm, he had ended up in such deep shock he had to sleep for days to get his body back to normal. He didn't eat for two days, and after the shock passed, the nightmares came. He hadn't slept well for two years after Itachi had first used the Sharingan's most formidable power on him. When the nightmares finally ended on a regular basis, they still came every now and then to haunt Orochimaru. As soon as Kabuto had gained the skill, he had forbidden Orochimaru's brain to ever remember his dreams.

Obviously, Kabuto saw through his lie.

"He didn't touch you, did he?"

There was a cold, harsh edge to Kabuto's voice, and it made Orochimaru uncomfortable. He knew Kabuto loved him, and would never hurt him, but he still wished that the terse, grating tone Kabuto had suddenly taken would vanish.

"Just my leg, I-you intervened in time-"

"Orochimaru-sama, tell me!!"

Kabuto was upset, Orochimaru knew. Doubtless, he blamed himself for not getting there in time. Kabuto gently laid his head down on top of Orochimaru's, hot breath flowing through the sannin's onyx hair. Kabuto was clearly fighting to keep himself under control. "It's alright," he finally whispered, placing a soft kiss on Orochimaru's forehead. He had never known what Itachi did to Orochimaru in Tsukiyomi, and never really asked. He had just assumed Orochimaru would tell him when he was ready, but if this was any indication…

"Was that what he did to you?"

The question was more like, "What else could traumatize you so badly?"

Orochimaru nodded, confirming all of Kabuto's worst fears.

A soft inhale, and a soft exhale kept him under control. But right now, the only thing stopping Kabuto from getting up and tracking down Itachi to throttle the life out of him was the weight of his lover in his arms. And Kabuto wasn't leaving him. He placed another kiss on Orochimaru's cheek, taking care to avoid the swiftly-darkened marks where Itachi had hit him. Healing green chakra cured the marks instantly.

"He can't mark you. Only I can."

For some reason, that made Orochimaru feel ten times better.

OOOOOOOOO

Pein didn't know what to think anymore.

Itachi was gone, Konan was gone, and the rest of the Akatsuki was a mess. Everyone was worried about Itachi, and somehow, word had gotten around that it was Pein's fault. At first, he angrily denied it, insisting he hadn't done anything, and Itachi was just being an overdramatic little attention whore...but, the more he denied it, the worse he felt. So, finally, Pein just holed up in his room and didn't speak. He barred anyone from entering, and refused to even respond when people pounded on the door. The tensions were amazingly high, not just between Pein and the Akatsuki, but within the Akatsuki members themselves. Sasori was too touchy for words; he screamed at and slapped Deidara so hard, for next to no reason, that he sent the blonde to his room in screaming tears. Hidan was in pieces, literally, thanks to an irate Kakuza, who was pacing and muttering nervously, wondering exactly how much this was cost to cost the Akatsuki. Zetsu was sulking somewhere, arguing with himself over whether or not Itachi was good riddance or worth going after.

And then there was Madara.

Oh, needless to say, Madara was furious. Pein could sense his chakra, firing angrily below him in the under-levels of Akatsuki's base. He was screwed now, he realized. Madara was heading right up the stairs to his room, and, seconds later, Pein heard an incensed pounding on the door. "Pein, now!!" The orange-haired leader of the Akatsuki stood up, sighing heavily and going to the door. Madara was so angry, he hardly even noticed when the door opened. He made no differentiation between swinging at the door, and swinging at Pein. Pein took a mighty crack to the jaw, and fell back, reeling. Madara stepped into the room, drew back, and hit him again.

"You fool!" he screamed, seizing Pein's slender neck and lifting him clear off his feet. Pein didn't have time to even register what was going on before he was headed for the wall at something resembling horizontal terminal velocity. "You couldn't just tell him! You had to play the bad guy! You're stupid, Pein! You know what he meant to our plans!"

Madara never stopped striking. Pein could feel his very bones bending, feathering under Madara's iron grip. He was beaten into the wall, so hard and fast he never had a chance to hit the floor. When Madara finally finished his rant, he was breathing hard, and his knuckles were stained with Pein's blood. Pein, on the other hand, was much worse off: he could barely breathe, and he knew all of his ribs were broken. His piercings had been mauled by Madara's rage: he knew he would be lucky if they were all still in place. He laid on the floor, face down, waiting for Madara's verdict.

A sharp kick to his gut jarred his broken ribs, but he made not a sound. "Get him back," Madara growled. _"Now."_

Pein decided it was wise not to disobey. Another body, this one not freshly beaten, darted out the door, and Madara followed shortly. Pein was left on the ground, bleeding, trying to come to terms with his own stupidity. His eyes squeezed shut as a deep breath tore his punctured lung; blood ran from the corners of his mouth. "Itachi…" he whispered, knowing his words would go unheard, "Itachi…I'm so sorry."

**A/N: Dude, this chapter's title would so be, "Arrogance and Angst," if I was naming chapters. But I don't, because it's rare that I get this kind of inspiration. Review, please!!**


	7. Chapter 7

Orochimaru was sulking.

He was curled up on his window seat, staring out at the pouring rain with a book abandoned on the last page he was reading on his lap. He had barely gotten past three pages before his inability to concentrate had taken over. He had sighed, laid the book down, and simply stared out the window in misery. His long, dark hair fell over his shoulders in waves, brushing the faded pages of the book he held on his bent legs. One arm rested on the sill of the window; the other lay across the pages of the book absently. Orochimaru felt a soft sigh pass through his lips, and closed his eyes for a moment.

But then, he was taken back.

The very first day he had met Itachi, he had thought he was the hottest thing since fire. Charming, intelligent, and seemingly burning everything he touched, Orochimaru had miraculously managed to gain the attention of the young Uchiha. The two had hit it off immediately, had ended up going out several months later. For several more months, they shared a happy relationship. But then, it all went south. Itachi grew distant and cold, even going as far as to strike his lover when he was angry. Orochimaru tried to stand by Itachi: he knew that his partner hadn't had it easy in life, and that perhaps now it was all catching up with him. But still, it only got worse. Finally, Orochimaru ended it. Itachi grew enraged, and attacked Orochimaru. In defense, he fought back, but Itachi cut off his arm and sealed him into Tsukiyomi. For seventy two hours, all Orochimaru could see, feel, sense, hear, and feel was Itachi raping him, and, when he finally awoke from the illusion, Itachi was gone. Sasori found him, and said that Itachi was long gone. He seemed to know nothing about the encounter, and looked confused when Orochimaru had said that Itachi attacked him when he tried to end it. Sasori had told him that Itachi had said that Orochimaru had tried to take his body, and had panicked and attacked back. As soon as Orochimaru left, he would come back. Orochimaru fled; he would have, anyway. He packed his things, told Pein he was leaving, and ran, ring and all. Pein had tried to chase him; he wanted him and the ring back. But Orochimaru effectively hid himself, and eventually became a back-up plan in case the Akatsuki had nothing better to do.

And now, he was back. Itachi had fled from Akatsuki as well, and had run to Orochimaru in order not to be found. Orochimaru sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. The Akatsuki ring, Sora, sat comfortably on his little finger, sparkling with a dull, red light. Orochimaru had adopted wearing it after Itachi had come back. Orochimaru seemed to be the only member, besides Pein, who knew how the rings truly worked. First, it granted the wearer access to the Akatsuki compound. Second, it formed something of a tracking system that, when activated, would allow the members to locate each other. Orochimaru had blocked that feature. Third, it was a storage place for chakra. Shinobi would often squirrel away excess chakra on their down time, and take it from the ring later. And, lastly, the most hidden and complex of properties: it could be infused with jutsu. Orochimaru had programmed his to instantly form a jutsu-proof shield against Itachi's ring. If Itachi directed chakra at Orochimaru, the Uchiha's ring would flare, send a message to Orochimaru's, and trigger the defense. Orochimaru was quite proud of himself for it. Itachi probably thought it was vanity that had driven Orochimaru to adopt the ring again.

He wished.

He used to love Itachi-with all his heart, mind, and soul. But then, Itachi turned on him. It was horrible, he decided, to love someone so fully, and then to have them throw that back in your face. Orochimaru pushed his hair back from his face. No more, he decided. Itachi was leaving-now!

The door opened, and the devil himself walked in.

"First my base, then my kitchen, now my bed room? Itachi, a little respect?!"

To his surprise, Itachi looked remorseful. "That's actually what I came to talk to you about," he said slowly, avoiding Orochimaru's gaze. Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed in skepticism, but he said nothing. Itachi continued: "I…I realize I had treated you badly…both now, and in the past. I guess I just never got over what you did to me in the past."

"What the hell did I ever do to you, you bastard?!"

Orochimaru knew he would regret those words as soon as they passed from his lips. Still, he didn't back down. He needed to stand up for himself now, otherwise, Itachi would never respect him.

Itachi's eyes narrowed, and he finally caught Orochimaru's gaze. "You cheating bitch," he growled. "How could you not remember that? And with Pein, of all people!"

"You think I cheated on you?!" Orochimaru could hardly believe his ears. "With Pein?! Aw, hell, no!"

Itachi snickered slightly. "Can I have some proof?"

"Who told you?"

"Pein."

"And who's been taking advantage of you, playing you, and manipulating you?"

"…Pein…"

"And who were you willing to give your life for, before he turned out to be a conniving bastard?"

"…Pein…"

"So, who would want to break us up for spite, so he could pretend to like you, only to break your heart later?"

"…Pein…"

"Very good. Shall we try this again?"

Itachi suddenly felt very, very stupid.

"Well…here's my apology," he said, walking over to Orochimaru and sitting down next to him. Orochimaru scooted over, just enough to give Itachi a bit more room to sit, but not enough to allow him to be comfortable. "Take it or leave it. I'm sorry for being a jackass to you. I'm sorry for not trying to clear things up, instead just taking Pein's word at face value. I'm sorry for rejecting you so cruelly, and I'm sorry for hurting you so badly."

Orochimaru bit his lip in thought for a moment. Well, this was unexpected. He had expected Itachi to just hit him and laugh at him and possibly try a little Sharingan. An apology, while not unwelcome, was highly unexpected. "Well…" he said slowly. "I-I'm going to need some time to think this through…this is a lot to take, all at once…"

"I understand," Itachi said, somewhat abruptly. He stood up, and exited the room, barely pausing to throw something back over his shoulder: "Thanks you for your time." And then, the doors slammed shut again.

Orochimaru was so confused.

OOOOOOOOO

It took him three days, but Pein finally managed to find Itachi.

In the lowest levels of Orochimaru's hideout, as if expecting him to flood the entire earth looking for him, droplets of rain finally hit Itachi's body. The Uchiha mumbled something nasty and disgusting about the leaking compound, while Orochimaru griped about Pein's efforts. He knew exactly what the man was doing, and apparently, he was desperate. He hadn't made it rain so hard since the first day Orochimaru disappeared. But, Orochimaru had shielded himself with chakra, and thus never got wet. Pein never figured it out. Or he just didn't care about Orochimaru anymore. Or something had come up. Or…well, Orochimaru was just glad to have escaped. Pein was ruthless, especially when people tried to escape. He must have Madara behind him this time, though. Orochimaru chuckled slightly at Pein's poor attempts to keep Tobi/Madara a secret. He had figured it out when he left-he had stolen a few (hundred) scrolls.

Pein hurried to Orochimaru's lair, not expecting much from the encounter. He snuck into Orochimaru's hideout, using each of his six bodies at a different entrance. Human realm snuck in through the front door, quickly disposing of the meager guard force there by removing their souls. Animal found a window and slipped in that way; as the slenderest of Pein's bodies, it was no problem for him to climb through the window and close it again behind him. Hell cut an opening on the tiled roof of the compound, and dropped into what he figured was a raining room. He grabbed some weapons, and ran the other way. Asura found a back door, and simply entered that way. Hungry Ghost used a water-teleportation jutsu to sneak in through a puddle in the basement. Pein hesitated to put his Deva body into play: that was the body Itachi would associate most with his pain. But then, it might also be useful in the fact that Itachi would recognize him. Deva was also his most powerful body. If it came to a fight, Pein would need to subdue both parties as quickly as possible. Sighing, he decided it was best to use his Deva body, and moved it towards a window. He didn't encounter a soul in any of his bodies, besides the first few whose souls he had removed. Pein rolled his eyes; Orochimaru's lack of security was disconcerting.

Or was he expected?

All of his bodies made it in undetected, and began fanning out looking for Itachi. The damn fool…he had a knack for disappearing, didn't he? Pein was getting frustrated very quickly. The dank air of the hideout didn't help, either. It wasn't a nice, refreshing wet, like Pein was used to: it was a smelly, clammy, wet, that encroached on your personal space and made it hard to breathe. Pein used his six bodies' collective vision to search; he laid out a grid-like formation and swept the entire place. It turned out to be miles long-all underground. What did Orochimaru do, form a second summoning contract with moles?!

Voices from one of the rooms.

Pein froze, listening closer. That voice was Itachi's! And the other was…Orochimaru's? Wow, speaking terms, now! Pein felt a snicker tug at his upper lip. After what he had done to tear those two apart, he was surprised they were able to stand next to each other without killing each other. Pfft, it was a miracle Itachi was still alive if Orochimaru didn't figure it out. That snake was like a vicious lion when he got mad. He bit like a little dog, too! Pein crept closer to the door, listening to the voices. One of them, Orochimaru's voice, sounded distraught, close to tears. The other, Itachi's voice, seemed to be awkwardly fumbling with his words.

"Itachi, I-I just can't take you back! I know you didn't know, but it's not that simple!"

"What, found someone else?"

There was a soft sigh from Orochimaru. "Yes," he whispered. "Itachi, I…I'm so sorry…"

Pein rolled his eyes. Apparently, they hadn't figured it out.

"What Pein did was unacceptable, but for you to react so badly, towards me, was even more heinous. Please, Itachi, try to understand-"

Well, crap. They had figured it out.

Pein decided that was more than enough from them. It was time for a little confession of his own. It might even go nicely with the emotional reunion going on on the other side of the door. All five of his other bodies were instantly at his side; he set his palms against the door, straightening up to his full height and preparing to enter the room.

"Itachi!!"

The door slammed open, revealing the startled faces of both Orochimaru and Itachi. Itachi instantly stepped in front of Orochimaru, almost in a protective fashion; Kabuto emerged from the shadows, and took Orochimaru's hand. Orochimaru and Kabuto went for the window, but Pein moved his Animal body in front of it. "Not so fast," he said, planting himself in front of the two. "I'd like a word with you, if you don't mind."

"Pein, let them go," Itachi said tiredly. "They have nothing to do with this; this is between you and me."

Pein hardly seemed amused by the prospect. "They must have something to do with it," Pein said, "seeing as you ran to them."

"They were just a convenience," Itachi argued. "Let them go."

Pein still wasn't convinced, but decided it was better to let Orochimaru and Kabuto go. They would only complicate things. Animal lunged forward, seizing Orochimaru's hair and bringing him up to stare into those gray-ringed eyes. "You saw nothing," he hissed, before shoving Orochimaru back into Kabuto's chest. Kabuto caught Orochimaru easily, and pulled the sannin away as soon as he moved to punch Pein.

"Don't," he whispered. "He isn't worth it." Orochimaru hesitated, but then nodded slowly and walked towards the door with Kabuto. The two exited without any more fuss. Pein called after them,

"We'll be out by daybreak."

Orochimaru kept moving, showing no sign of hearing them at all. Several hisses could be heard moments later, and snakes began pouring out of every cavity on the compound. So he _was _expected. Little bastard! Well, Pein supposed he could let it go, for now, anyway. His priority was for Itachi. He swung around, fixing the Uchiha in his gaze. Fully aware of the danger, he met Itachi's eyes in full, using his Deva body. "Itachi," he started, but Itachi cut him off.

"I don't want to hear it."

Itachi brushed past Pein, cruelly shouldering him aside. Pein was having none of it. He grabbed Itachi's shoulder and shoved him back, having his Animal and Human bodies take Itachi's arms. Itachi didn't look fazed, but he didn't look happy, either. "You don't want to hear it?" Pein whispered, Deva stepping up to him and taking his chin between his thumb and two first fingers. "How about I just show you how I feel, then?"

Itachi was immediately on his guard. Pein's way of demonstrating his feelings was usually with fists and feet, punches and kicks, and the occasional nasty knee to the gut. Still, he didn't move from Pein's grip; he didn't struggle, or beg to be released. He said nothing as Pein stepped closer, lowering his head to Itachi's. His heart beat like a tribal drum; sweat began to break out over his entire body. _Kill me with a kiss, _he thought. _Some way to go._

But, surprisingly, there was no malice in Pein's lips as they met Itachi's. Unlike their first kiss, this was soft, forgiving, and gentle. It held no lust, no demands, and it didn't even feel like Pein. Itachi, surprised, froze within Pein's extra bodies' grips. They slowly released him, backing away a few steps and allowing Itachi his freedom. Still, he didn't move.

"I'm sorry."

Pein's words said it all. Itachi didn't understand it, but he didn't care. All he knew was that Pein was here, and he seemed to realize exactly what he had done to Itachi. He now sought to rectify his deeds, and Itachi wasn't about to complain. Itachi sprang forward again, meeting Pein in a crushing, bruising kiss. Pein took Itachi fully into his arms, one hand cradling his head, the other wrapped around his shoulders. Itachi lost all passage of time; all he knew was Pein's embrace, and the sweet caress of his lips.

"Let's go."

How long _had _they been standing there, anyway? The first rays of dawn were beginning to break through the window at the far end of the room. It was a while, then. Itachi sighed, and leaned on Pein as they made their way out of the underground complex. All of Pein's other bodies had run around, finding different ways out and leaving Deva alone with Itachi. It wasn't hard to find the way out; just follow the light at the end of the tunnel. As Itachi and Pein finally broke the surface of the earth, Itachi found it slightly poetic and very corny that he and Pein would be finding each other's light at the very break of day. Really, when did that ever happen in real life? Itachi wasn't complaining, though. As long as nothing ever came between them again…

Speaking of which, Pein owed Itachi an explanation.

**A/N: Jeez, the ending was crappy. Still, didn't want it to get too long. Just couldn't end this chapter!! XD Gah! Alright, well, review.**


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